ARTH 002. Cave Painting to the Sistine Ceiling

This course is an introduction to the Western tradition of art and architecture as developed in the Mediterranean, Egypt, and Europe from prehistoric cave painting through the seventeenth century. The goal of this course is to provide you with a chronology of the major works of art and architecture from this period and to teach you the vocabulary and methodologies necessary to closely analyze them. In addition to considering works of art and architecture in terms of the material, historical, and cultural circumstances in which they were produced, we will analyze the concept and history of the “Western tradition” itself. A full range of issues related to the production and reception of artworks will be examined in this course, including: the representation of-and construction of-race, gender, class, religion, social relations, and politics; the use and status of materials; the context in which these works were used and/or displayed; and the critical responses these works elicited.

Note: This course is an Introductory Survey Course
Arts and Humanities.
1 credit.
Eligible for MDST, GLBL-Paired
Fall 2025. Reilly.
Catalog chapter: Art History
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/art-history

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